


Sleep Now

by sheafrotherdon



Category: Cupid (TV 1998)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-12
Updated: 2007-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-11 22:59:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/118098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheafrotherdon/pseuds/sheafrotherdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What's all this?" Alex asks, padding into the baby's room where Emma's chatting animatedly with the mobile above her crib.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep Now

"What's all this?" Alex asks, padding into the baby's room where Emma's chatting animatedly with the mobile above her crib. He cracks a yawn as he scoops her up, settling her against his bare shoulder. "You are way too young to be keeping these hours," he tells her, padding back down the hall to his and Claire's room. "You missing your mom?"

Emma gnaws on her fist, spreading drool liberally along his collarbone, and gurgles something he takes for assent.

"She'll be home pretty soon," he murmurs, climbing carefully back into bed. "And you want your mom to get awards for being clever and stuff, right?"

"Amamamamamamm," Emma says intelligently.

"Exactly." Alex shuffles the pillows around to his liking, then settles Emma with her belly pressed to his. "Besides. I took pictures. Someday you'll be real impressed with how she looked. Especially the shoes."

"Aaaaaiiiiiiie," Emma notes.

"Sure. The purse too." Alex yawns again, hand spread broad against his daughter's back. "You wanna nap?"

Emma gnaws on her fist again.

"Or drool. Drooling's good."

"Baaababaaababaaa," Emma babbles, and Alex nods as if that makes perfect sense.

"Okay," he agrees. "You tell me about world politics, and _I'll_ nap."

"Baaaaaaaaa."

"Mmmhmmm."

"Amamamammbaaa."

"Hmmmm," Alex murmurs again, smiling just a little as he feels her cheek settle against his chest. He strokes her spine absently as she chatters and smacks a tiny fist against his ribs, and the next thing he knows, Claire's gently lifting his hand and shifting Emma into her arms.

"Go back to sleep," Claire whispers, smiling. "She's out. I'm putting her back in her crib."

"She'll b'up any second for food," he grumbles, five years old, rubbing one eye with a balled up fist.

"So I'll get up with her," Claire replies genially, gliding out of the room on a whisper of silk, her heels discarded but her gown still rippling soft as she moves.

Alex means to stay awake, means to ask her how it went, but when she slides into bed he flinches to consciousness, realizes he dozed off despite his best intentions. "Sorry," he mumbles, rolling onto his side, blinking at her. Her face is scrubbed bare, her hair a little damp at the edges. She smells of toothpaste, and he smiles bashfully when she reaches to touch his face.

"Go to sleep," she says again, rolling in close enough to nudge a kiss against his lips, fingers carding through his hair.

"Mmmmmmph," he agrees, pushing up against her hand. "Good?"

"Yeah. Fun."

"Ever'body love you?"

"Of course," she teases, but her fingers still scratch against his scalp. "Baby okay?"

"Baby awesome," he yawns, smushing his face against her shoulder. "Sleep now." His eyes are closed but he can hear the shift in her breathing that translates into a smile.

"Yeah," she whispers, body softening beside him. "Sleep now."

He sighs and pushes up into her hand one last time, thinks fondly of their little family, exhales the strangeness of missing someone who's only been gone for a few, short hours, and falls asleep with her fingers tangled in his.


End file.
